Past Irish American Heritage Month Profiles

Did you know that the island of Manhattan in New York was once totally destroyed and was rebuilt by the son of an immigrant from Co. Galway, Ireland?  He was one of the first Irish-Americans to wear that title and his name was James Duane.  He was born in New York to Irish immigrant parents in 1733; a time when the Central  Park was considered ‘upstate’ and a wilderness.  He grew up with an interest in finance, real estate, and the law and was called to the Bar in 1754.  He earned a reputation for being a bit of a maverick, taking on law cases that no one else would … [Read more...] about James Duane, The Irish American Who Rebuilt New York

Did you know that an Irish Catholic Priest Rev. Thomas O’Reilly threatened General Sherman with a mutiny by the Irish Catholics in his army if he torched the church district of Atlanta at the start of his infamous march to the sea and that General Sherman backed down and the entire church district was saved, including the City Hall which stood therein? However, Rev. Peter Whelan was just as courageous in another way. Rev. Whelan distinguished himself as a chaplain for the Montgomery Guards, an Irish company established in Savannah for the First Georgia Volunteer Regiment named for America’s … [Read more...] about Irish American Heritage Month: The Angel of Andersonville

Did you know that an Irish America soldier was responsible for turning the tide of the most important battle of the American Revolution? His name was Timothy Murphy and he had served with distinction on the frontier, was part of General William Thompson’s Pennsylvania Rifle Battalion which became the First Continental Regiment and he served with famed General Daniel Morgan as a sharpshooter. He was considered the most famous marksman of his day. Timothy Murphy was born in 1751 near the Delaware Water Gap to Thomas and Mary (Lundy) Murphy, recent immigrants from Co. Donegal, Ireland. When … [Read more...] about Timothy Murphy, the Irish American Who Turned the Tide at Saratoga

DID YOU KNOW that in the annals of America's heroes, there is scarcely a brighter entry than that of the fighting Sullivan brothers?  Born in Waterloo, Iowa to Railroad conductor Tom Sullivan and his wife Alleta, George, Francis, Albert, Joseph, and Madison grew up the best of friends in the closeness of an Irish family and matured into patriotic Americans. It was no surprise therefore, that when Pearl Harbor was attacked, the Sullivan brothers headed straight for the nearest U.S. Navy recruiting office. Navy policy discouraged family members from serving together, but the Sullivans … [Read more...] about Irish American Heritage Month: The Sullivan Brothers, “We stick together”

On July 30th, 1999, 30 years and two days after the first successful moonwalk, Irish American Colonel Eileen Marie Collins became the first woman to command a U.S. spacecraft. Eileen Collins was one of four children born to a family that traced their heritage to  immigrants  from County Cork who had settled in Elmira New York. At an early age Eileen expressed an interest in flying, the skies around her home a frequent home to sailplanes and Elmira was home to the National Soaring Museum. Her father would often take her to the local airport to watch aircraft take off and … [Read more...] about Irish American Heritage Month: Colonel Eileen Collins, A Descendent of Immigrants Who Attained the Stars